Threats and harassment are becoming increasingly commonplace for Jewish residents in Malmö in southern Sweden, leading many Jews to leave the city out of fear for their safety.
"Threats against Jews have increased steadily in Malmö in recent years and many young Jewish families are choosing to leave the city," Fredrik Sieradzki of the Jewish Community of Malmö (Judiska Församlingen i Malmö) told The Local.
"Many feel that the community and local politicians have shown a lack of understanding for how the city's Jewish residents have been marginalized."
Last year there were 79 crimes against Jewish residents reported to the police in Malmö, roughly double the number reported in 2008, according to the Skånska Dagbladet newspaper.
"That probably doesn't tell the whole story because not everyone chose to make a report. Perhaps they fear they will add to an already infected situation," Susanne Gosenius, a hate crimes coordinator with the Skåne police, told the newspaper, which has published series of articles about the growing anti-Semitism in Malmö.
In addition, Jewish cemeteries and synagogues have repeatedly been defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti, and a chapel at another Jewish burial site in Malmö was firebombed in January of last year. [...]
Skånska Dagbladet highlighted the case of Marcus Eilenberg, a 32-year-old father of two who has decided to move to Israel.
"My children aren't safe here. It's going to get worse," he told the newspaper. [...]
He blamed part of the problem on passive local politicians who he believes have failed to openly distance themselves from anti-Semitism and refuse to act when members of the Jewish community find themselves under constant threat. [...]
When asked to explain why Jewish religious services often require security guards and even police protection, Reepalu said much of the violence directed toward Malmö's Jewish community come from members of extremist right-wing groups, a theory which baffles Sieradzki.
"I'm not saying we don't have problems with neo-Nazis, but the threats aren't as concrete," he explained.
"More often it's the far-left that commonly use Jews as a punching bag for their disdain toward the policies of Israel, even if Jews in Malmö have nothing to do with Israeli politics.
"It's shameful and regrettable that such a powerful politician could be so ignorant about the threats we face."
In addition to the far-left, Sieradzki said that a "very small segment" of the city's growing population of Muslim immigrants from Arab countries in the Middle East are also responsible for growing anti-Semitism.
"This is a small group of extremists who have decided to go after Jews wherever they are in the world and regardless of their relationship to Israel," he said....
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